


the wonder of devotion

by bitterbeets (ginnydear)



Category: Crooked Media RPF
Genre: Didn't Know They Were Dating, Fluff, Getting Together, LA Era (Crooked Media RPF), M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:03:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22122067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginnydear/pseuds/bitterbeets
Summary: boyfriend jobs; things friends do for each other, but with feelings.
Relationships: Jon Favreau/Jon Lovett/Tommy Vietor
Comments: 29
Kudos: 69





	the wonder of devotion

**Author's Note:**

> i can happily say that, finally, this fic is finished. it's been sitting in my docs, half finished, for months now. then i went on vacation and suddenly... i have inspiration to finish. 
> 
> this goes out to [Leah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SelfRescuingPrincess/pseuds/SelfRescuingPrincess), who inspired this so long ago in the discord. and to everyone else, who has now been waiting for me to finish this. 
> 
> big thanks to [Moreanswers24](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moreanswers24/pseuds/Moreanswers24) for the quick beta work. 
> 
> title is from 'the rain song' by led zeppelin, which i listened to on repeat while finishing this and i feel really captures the feeling of this fic. 
> 
> as always, please do not share with anyone mentioned in this fic.

The key works, just like Jon promised it would, and Tommy smiles as he closes the door behind him. He drops his keys onto the cabinet on his right, next to Jon’s and probably Lovett’s, judging by how dark Lovett’s house is across the street. There’s a light on somewhere down the hallway, probably the kitchen, so Tommy kicks off his shoes and lifts his suitcase off the floor in case someone is asleep. 

As he gets closer to the kitchen, he hears two voices talking softly. He can tell just by cadence alone who it is, and he smiles again as he sets his suitcase down in the living room and steps into the kitchen. 

“Hey, buddy!”

Jon and Lovett are sitting at the island, glasses of water and mugs in front of them. Lovett’s laptop is open. His smile is a little sleepy compared to the beaming smile Jon’s giving Tommy. 

“I told you guys you didn't have to wait up for me,” Tommy says, taking the glass of water Jon offers him. Lovett closes his laptop gently, shaking his head.

“And we told you you didn’t have to pay for an Uber, but you did anyway,” Jon says, jaw working as he suppresses a yawn and Lovett runs a hand through his curls, ruffling them slightly. Tommy’s chest aches with an emotion he’s very familiar with, a deep fondness for his best friends. 

“Go to sleep, I can get everything set up myself,” Tommy says, grabbing their mugs and heading for the sink. He misses the shared look when his back turns. 

“Actually, everything’s ready to go, you’re set up in the guest.” 

Tommy rinses out the mugs, setting them on the counter to dry. He looks over his shoulder at them, standing close at the island, Jon leaning slightly on Lovett, something they only do when they’re exhausted. 

“You didn’t have to do that,” Tommy says, smiling as Jon and Lovett roll their eyes. He shrugs, turning around again. He gestures to their water glasses but Lovett shakes his head. 

“We’re fine, you just got off a flight.” Lovett places both of his hands on Tommy’s sides and, with surprising strength, maneuvers him out of the kitchen into the hallway. “It’s time for bed.”

When Tommy walks into the bedroom, he pauses in the doorway. The bed is made, an extra blanket over the end. It’s cooler than the rest of the house, and it smells like someone just blew out a lavender candle. When he looks over his shoulder the hallway is dark, no light coming from the kitchen, but he can hear Lovett in the living room. One of the dogs, probably Pundit, trots across the hallway as Tommy closes the door. 

\--- 

He begins to suspect something a few days later, when he wakes up with his head on a pillow in someone’s lap. 

There had been football game on, meaning Jon had ordered wings and dragged them away from their computers for some “non-politics” time. Lovett only grumbled for a few minutes, but as always, had found a schtick and started to enjoy himself. It’s a lot of ball puns and making fun of the phrasing of the announcers, but it made Jon laugh and gets a few solid chuckles out of Tommy, so Lovett doesn’t stop. 

When the wings were gone, Jon had offered to clean up;Tommy leaned his head back on the couch, watching as Jon had started to clean the table. 

“Let me help,” Lovett had said, throwing the blanket he’d had on his lap over Tommy’s head. Tommy could hear them giggling as he pawed at the blanket, flipping them off. When he had gotten his head free again, they were already in the kitchen. 

“I’m keeping the blanket!” 

“Yeah, yeah!” Lovett yelled in return. 

They returned with more beers and some chips that they set on the table. Lovett sat down on the couch next to Tommy, much closer than before, and leaned forward to grab his beer. 

“Who’s up?”

“No one’s up in football.”

“Hockey?”

“Baseball,” Jon chuckled, clinking his beer against Lovett’s, reaching around Tommy. They were on either side of him, close enough to almost touch. They don’t talk too loud, never over the game, so Jon never misses a stat or Lovett can hear the player names. The chatter is familiar, almost nostalgic in the calm it brings Tommy’s brain. 

When he wakes again, he’s aware of a few things. His head is on a pillow. The football game is over. And said pillow is in someone's lap. 

He tries not to tense up, but he knows that whoever owns the lap he’s occupying feels it because they place a warm hand on his shoulder. It’s the gentle squeeze that tells him it’s Jon. 

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Lovett says softly from the floor, arms wrapped around a half asleep Pundit. Leo’s curled up on the ground at his legs. 

“How - sorry, I didn’t - uh,” Tommy stutters, attempting to sit up. Jon lets him, his face easy and open as always. 

“You’re fine. You fell asleep around the fourth quarter and when I shifted, you kinda fell into me. Figured being horizontal would yield better sleep.” Jon shrugs, reaching over again to squeeze Tommy’s shoulder.

“Well,” Tommy starts, searching for the right words. Lovett’s watching him carefully, as is Jon, but neither of their faces show judgment. If anything, they seem softer than normal, which makes Tommy’s stomach twist in unfamiliar ways. “Thank you, for letting me nap.”

“Are you still having trouble sleeping?” Lovett asks, unflinching as he does. Jon looks a little hesitant. 

“Sometimes, never like back at the White House.”

“You always looked like a Victorian ghost when I’d find you in the kitchen at two a.m.,” Lovett jokes, making Tommy chuckle softly. 

“That was one time.” He turns, looking at Jon. “Who won the game?”

“Oh!” Lovett perks up, jostling Pundit in his arms. She simply keeps sleeping. “You missed a buzzer beating touchback!”

“Okay,” Jon laughs, glaring at Lovett. It only riles Lovett up more, his eyes sparkling in that way they do when he’s getting ready to dig his heels into a bit. “That was like three different sports.”

“The blue team won.”

“There’s a lot of blue teams, Lovett,” Tommy says, leaning forward and petting Pundit behind her ears. Lovett licks his lips, biting down to keep himself from smiling. 

And the day continues. 

\--- 

Their group chat tells him that Jon’s at dinner with Andy, so Tommy gets an Uber from the house he’s looking at to Lovett’s place. He times the drive because, even though he’s sure Lovett was joking, he was told he couldn’t live farther than “a quick Uber drive away.”

His phone buzzes as the Uber pulls up to the curb and he thanks the driver before getting out to check it. 

_ Lovett: you know how to use a power drill, right? _

_ Lovett: i know you do, come over to Favs _

Chuckling, Tommy looks both ways before he jogs across the street to Favs. The front door is open, Leo and Pundit wrestling in the front yard. Following the string of curse words, Tommy finds Lovett in the kitchen, a mess of tools and supplies scattered on the island. 

“What are you doing?” Tommy says, laughing a bit when Lovett glares at him. 

“I was  _ trying  _ to fix these cabinet doors! The left needs to be adjusted back so you can close the doors in whatever order you want, instead of left first then right.”

“I didn’t even realize this was an issue,” Tommy mumbles, coming over to look at Lovett’s progress. He’s cleaned out the area under the sink, all of it sorted on the counter. There’s a sheet down on the floor and marks on the wood where the new drill spots should be. “It looks like you’re doing okay so far.”

“Don’t patronize me, I always fixed everything in our apartment,” Lovett snaps, walking over to kneel next to where Tommy’s crouched. 

“You know I wasn’t,” Tommy says, holding out his hands for the power drill. 

“Don’t laugh but can you help me change the bit? These screws are smaller than normal,” Lovett says quietly, shoulders already at his ears. Tommy shakes his head, smiling in a way he hopes is disarming. 

“Yeah, do you have the new bit?”

Lovett nods, standing back up to grab what he needs. Tommy follows him, coming to stand at the island again.

“Does Jon know you’re taking apart his kitchen?” Tommy asks as Lovett kneels down again, lining the drill up. Tommy sits down on the sheet next to him, ready to hold the screws. 

“No,” Lovett says, handing Tommy the first screw. He adjusts, getting lower to the ground for the other. “But he complains about this all the time, so I figured it was time to be fixed.”

“Does he even own tools?”

“A hammer,” Lovett hands him another screw, “and a tape measurer, I think.”

“Is a tape measurer a tool?” Tommy asks, twirling the screws between his fingers. Lovett sits up and tilts his head, thinking for a moment. He bounces the head of the power drill in his hand. 

“I think it’s more of an aide, than a tool,” Lovett says after a moment, looking at Tommy to see what he thinks. Tommy nods slowly, pursing his lips. 

“But aren’t aides… tools?”

Lovett’s mouth opens a few times, his eyes sparkling as he settles into the moment, ready for some back and forth. It’s fascinating to watch, the moment Lovett gets comfortable. Tommy grins. 

When Jon comes home, nearly an hour later, they’re still talking about the classification of tools, now with wikipedia pages and dictionary definitions open on their phones. Jon pauses in the kitchen doorway, eyebrows furrowed as he takes everything in. 

“Good dinner?” Tommy asks, kicking Lovett to get him to stop giggling. When he looks at Lovett, he starts laughing again. 

“Did you two get drunk?” Jon asks, heading for the fridge to put away his leftovers. 

“No, no, just… tool talk,” Lovett says, Tommy giggling into his hand. Jon shakes his head at them. 

Jon walks around them to the sink, grabbing a glass from the cabinet there. When he takes a step back, he looks down at his feet, where Leo is hovering excitedly. 

“Oh, hey buddy,” Jon says, placing the glass down on the counter and bending down to pick Leo up. Lovett and Tommy share a look as Jon stands up straight, his eyes glued to the cabinet under the sink. 

“What did you guys do today?” he asks, turning around slowly. Leo’s tucked his head under Jon’s chin and it almost looks like he’s smiling. 

“Some housework,” Lovett says, turning on his stool and kicking out towards the cabinet. Jon looks down at it, his face warming as he smiles. 

“You didn’t have to do that,” Jon says, looking between Tommy and Lovett. They shrug. 

“It wasn’t for you, actually,” Lovett starts, grinning when Jon rolls his eyes. “I did it so I wouldn’t have to hear you complain about it anymore!”

“That was very kind of you, Lovett.”

“Selfish motives!”

Tommy laughs as Jon walks over and ruffles Lovett’s hair, both of them grinning. 

“Thanks buddy,” Jon says, disappearing towards the living room. 

\--- 

Tommy’s back in San Francisco when Jon sends him the text, warning him that Lovett’s come down with some kind of bug and is blowing it out of proportion. Nonetheless, it’s Tommy’s warning that Lovett’s likely to be a bit whiner than usual, and Jon accepting that it’s about to be a long week. 

On Wednesday, Jon makes the trek to Trader Joe’s and follows the list his mother sent him. He also grabs a few of Lovett’s favorite snacks, a couple of Tommy’s for when he visits in a week, and leaves with at least one bag too many. 

When Lovett comes over on Thursday, laptop under his arm and Pundit running ahead of him, he looks worse than when Jon last saw him on Tuesday. 

“I think I’m actually dying,” Lovett grumbles as he places his stuff down on the dining room table. Jon’s laptop is already open, waiting for Tommy to call on Skype. Lovett slumps down into a chair, pulling his beanie lower over his ears. It’s only mildly cold outside, not cold enough to warrant the second jacket Lovett is wearing. 

“I think you’re a touch over-dramatic,” Jon replies as he heads for the kitchen, ignoring Lovett’s indignant cough. 

“Do you have any tea?” Lovett calls, coughing a bit more. It sounds wet and Jon winces as he heads for the slow cooker on the counter. As he grabs the herbal tea and a mug, he hears the Skype ringtone. 

“Tommy! I’m sick!”

Jon walks back into the dining room as Tommy starts to laugh, and Jon can see Tommy’s amused smile in his mind. Jon places the mug and soup bowl on the table and watches as Lovett’s slightly puffy face lights up. 

“What’cha got there?” Tommy asks as Jon sits down in his chair, just in view of the camera. Lovett pulls the soup closer and bumps his foot against Jon’s. 

“Jon got me soup,” Lovett says, much less prickly as he holds the warm bowl in his hands. Tommy looks at Jon, quizzical look on his face. Jon shrugs. 

“I made it, actually. Used the slow cooker from my mom, finally.”

“You made me soup?” Lovett looks like he might cry, so Jon reaches over and squeezes his shoulder. Jon’s starting to believe he’s as sick as he looks, because Lovett leans into him a bit. “You’re the best not-boyfriend ever.”

“What kind of soup is it?” Tommy asks, smile fond as he watches Lovett dig into the bowl. 

“My mom’s chicken noodle recipe. She adds some lemon and potatoes and it tastes amazing,” Jon explains, cheeks a little warm when Lovett scoots a little closer, moving the laptop so they’re both in frame for Tommy. 

“How are you so warm?” Lovett mumbles, Jon and Tommy chuckling. 

“Ten bucks says you’re sick too by the time I land in LA next week,” Tommy says as he watches them, expression soft. Jon chuckles, slinging his arm around the back of Lovett’s chair. 

“I’ll take that bet.”

\--- 

Tommy’s plane is delayed by a storm in the Midwest by nearly an hour, which shifts all of the plans Jon and Lovett had made for the evening. Tommy had an appointment with his realtor he’d have to move, and then Lovett had told them both it was his turn to finally use his kitchen for good, what with Jon getting his cold from the week before. He’d sent them both a calendar invite for 6pm, just for the giggles. 

Tommy texts him before they board, apologizing for being late, and Lovett reminds him it’s completely out of Tommy’s control a dozen times before Tommy turns his phone on airplane mode. 

Jon comes over around four, a worn Holy Cross sweatshirt pulled over his shoulders. It’s almost seventy-five degrees outside, but he still shivers as he sits down on the couch. 

“How many water bottles have you drank today?” Lovett asks as he pulls a blanket from the basket at the end of the couch. Jon shrugs, using his fingers to count. He only gets to two. 

“One and a half, maybe?” he says, looking up and smiling as Lovett spreads the sherpa throw over him, tucking it in around his body tight. Jon hums appreciatively, snuggling back into the cushions. Lovett fights the urge to smile, his eyes squinting slightly. 

“You need more than that, Favreau,” Lovett says, heading for the kitchen. 

He returns a few minutes later with a full reusable water bottle, one of his biggest ones, and a large mug of tea. Jon’s eyes are starting to droop, but Lovett sits down next to him and forces him to drink at least the tea. 

“It’s so hot,” Jon complains softly, blowing air on the liquid before petulantly taking a sip. He brings one of his arms out of the blankets to hold the mug himself, not sick enough to give over that much autonomy. Lovett smiles. 

“I know, but you need to drink all of it,” he hums, reaching up to straighten Jon’s sweater. He has to keep himself from jumping when Jon lets his head rest against Lovett’s hand, his eyes closed as he breathes deeply. 

“Okay,” Jon whispers after a moment, and it takes several long seconds for Lovett to remember what he’d just said. 

“Thank you,” Lovett says after a beat, watching as Jon empties the mug. He smiles smugly as he hands the mug off to Lovett. 

“You’re welcome, babe,” Jon mumbles, his words slurring a little as his eyes continue to droop. Lovett rolls his eyes, batting away the weird feeling in his chest as he stands up, placing the mug on the coffee table. 

“Wanna take a nap before Tommy gets here and we have dinner?” Lovett murmurs, already guiding Jon down onto the couch. Jon nods a couple times, slow and dazed, but he hums happily when Lovett tucks the blankets around him again. 

“Thank you, Lo,” Jon says softly, rubbing his face against the pillow until he finds a comfortable spot. It’s all very soft and almost too much. Lovett wonders if he was anything close to this the week before. As he walks into the kitchen, he absently wonders if Jon or Tommy minded. 

\--- 

Lovett’s just about to start cooking the scallops when his front door opens. He doesn’t bother looking through the living room to see who it is, because only two people in the world have the key, and one of them’s asleep on the couch. 

Neither Leo or Pundit wake up from where they’re wrapped around Jon to bark or greet Tommy, but Lovett hears Tommy stop to say hello anyway. When Tommy doesn’t walk right into the kitchen after, Lovett looks over his shoulder to see Tommy running a gentle finger across Jon’s forehead. 

He turns back to the scallops. 

Tommy comes in a moment later, just as Lovett’s got a pan full of food to keep an eye on. He walks up next to Lovett anyway and stands there quietly, surveying the scene. Lovett’s shoulders rise slightly, not entirely sure how to take this silent Tommy. 

“Something smells fantastic,” Tommy says finally, leaning in as Lovett transfers scallops to a waiting plate. “Can I do anything to help?”

Lovett looks up at him finally and that weird feeling is back in his chest as he takes in the look on Tommy’s face. It’s warm and open, eyes crinkled as he smiles. It’s not exactly how Lovett thought Tommy would be acting after a delayed flight. 

“I have everything ready to plate, so if you could get drinks,” Lovett offers and Tommy nods. As he moves around Lovett, he reaches out and touches his hip, gentle and fleeting enough that Lovett thinks he’s imagining things. 

Lovett isn’t paying attention as he plates their food, but he knows Jon gets up by the tinkling of dog collars. When he has all three plates ready, he turns only to come into contact with Tommy’s chest. 

“Announce yourself,” Lovett snaps, looking up to level Tommy with a glare. That warm smile is still on Tommy’s face, even as Lovett frowns at him. 

“I’ll wear a bell, just for you,” Tommy says, taking two of the plates and heading to the table. Lovett scowls at him, grabbing the last plate and following him. 

The scowl slips off his face as he walks into the dining room and takes in the sight of the table. There, smack dab in the middle, is a vase holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers that wasn’t there before Tommy showed up. Jon’s reaching out to touch them as Lovett walks over to the table, setting his plate down gently. 

“They’re beautiful, Tom,” Jon says, sniffing a bit as he smiles. Lovett sits down at the head of the table and looks at Tommy. 

“Trying to upstage me, Vietor?” Lovett asks instead of anything else his brain is coming up with. Tommy snorts as he laughs, pouring Lovett a glass of wine. At least Lovett knows the wine came from his own house. 

“You said this dinner was celebratory because we finally found an office space but can’t go out with Jon as sick as he is,” Tommy says, Jon sniffing as if to emphasize the point. “Flowers are celebratory.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Lovett says softly, smiling slightly. Tommy smiles back, jerking his head in Jon’s direction. 

“Plus, I know how much you both love a good bouquet,” he whispers, and Lovett feels his cheeks flush at that. Jon, still dazedly staring at the bouquet, sniffs as he composes himself, looking over at them. 

“Everything okay?” Jon asks, offering them a crooked smile when they look at him. Lovett feels weird again in his chest. Tommy reaches over and nudges Jon’s water glass closer to him. 

“Yeah, dude, everything’s fantastic. Drink some water though, you’re sounding stuffed up,” Tommy says, and Lovett snorts into his wine as Jon pouts. 

\--- 

When Tommy leaves, it’s for at least a month, the longest he’s stayed away in a long time. Jon makes Lovett get up to see Tommy off at the crack of dawn, pulling them both in a three-way hug that finds Lovett tucked nearly between them; he’s so tired he shoves his face into Tommy’s jacket and hold on as tight as Jon holds onto the both of them. 

Lovett’s curled up on Jon’s couch a few days later, a blanket around his shoulders as he works on his computer, when a text comes through in their group chat. From the kitchen, he hears Jon chuckle. 

“Tommy’s sick, isn’t he?” Lovett asks, not looking away from the resume he’d been reading. 

“You bet he is,” Jon says, walking back into the living room as he types out a reply. Lovett switches tabs and opens up Postmates. 

“What’s that place Tommy likes, with the good soup?” Lovett asks absently, typing in his password. Jon leans over, his chin resting on Lovett’s shoulder to see what he’s doing. 

“Hot and sour soup?” Jon chuckles, and Lovett pushes at his face. Jon giggles. 

“But there’s that one place he likes the best, he’s ordered for us when we’ve visited,” Lovett says, typing in Tommy’s address. Jon places his chin on Lovett’s shoulder again. 

“The logo was unique,” Jon mumbles, voice dipping absurdly low. Lovett resists the urge to shiver as he scrolls. “Oh, that one. With the coin.”

“He’s home now, right?” Lovett asks as he compiles the order, making sure to get the biggest soup they offer. He throws in other things Tommy likes, for later when Tommy’s miserable and doesn’t want to cook. Jon hums softly, shifting on the couch. It brings them even closer, Jon’s weight resting solidly against Lovett. 

“Yeah, he said he went out for medicine and wasn’t leaving again.”

“Good.”

Lovett completes the order, making sure to leave a generous tip. Jon doesn’t move from where he’s basically spooning Lovett, their heads resting against each other. Lovett switches back to the resumes. 

They’re quiet for a long time as Lovett slowly flips through resumes and Twitter profiles. He slowly relaxes against Jon, his back warm against Jon’s chest. Occasionally, Jon points at things on the screen, and his hand rests against Lovett’s hip. 

It’s almost an hour later when the Skype ringtone bursts through their quiet, both of them jumping slightly but not moving apart. Lovett hits accept on the call and they both beam at the screen as Tommy comes into view; if he finds their sitting arrangement weird, he doesn’t say anything. 

“Guys,” he says weakly, holding up a rather large bag. Lovett’s face flushes as Jon chuckles, nudging his hip slightly. 

“I didn’t know you got him that much!” Jon says, and Tommy looks at Lovett. 

“This is enough for all three of us,” Tommy says, setting the bag down on his counter and pulling items out. Jon muffles his giggles in the blanket on Lovett’s shoulder. “I have enough food for a week.”

“That’s the plan,” Lovett replies, making a face as Tommy looks at him. Tommy pulls a face in return. 

“You didn’t have to,” Tommy mumbles softly, his face smoothing out as he smiles. He sniffs loudly, reaching for a tissue, and Lovett shrugs his free shoulder. 

“Someone has to take care of you. Might as well be us.” He smiles and hopes none of the feelings in his chest are displayed on his face. He can’t tell if they are as Tommy smiles at them. Jon hums softly, his nose right by Lovett’s ear. The moment feels too big, yet fleeting, as Tommy’s face screws up and he sneezes. 

“Bless you,” Jon and Lovett say together, laughing a little. Tommy flips them off as he reaches for a tissue. 

\---

Jon knows that, though he’d never admit it, Lovett hates doing the pod when Tommy is in San Francisco. Lovett’s at his best when he can see his audience, can watch the way their eyes light up at his jokes and how they hold their hands as they laugh. If there’s one thing Jon knows about Lovett, it’s that he loves an audience. 

So a whole month with Tommy in San Francisco brings a somewhat grumpy Lovett, a little more on edge when they record. They’ve tried and errored having Tommy be on video while they speak, but the sound quality isn’t great. 

Tommy’s still sick on Monday, even after all of the hot and sour soup and Chinese food. He apologizes in advance for the sniffling, says he’ll try to cover his mic, and Jon watches an array of emotions cross Lovett’s face. 

Regardless of how Lovett feels about Tommy calling in, he still finds his schtick and makes them all laugh, the reliable bright spot in the holdrum of bad news. More than once it takes Tommy a moment or two to come back to his mic, clearing his throat on the other end. 

“You sound like you desperately need a cough drop,” Lovett says at one point, as Tommy clears his throat again to speak.

“They’re all the way in the other room,” Tommy says, to which Lovett scoffs. 

“Please, we can pause while you go get one. Otherwise I’m coming to San Francisco and force feeding them to you,” Lovett threatens, though there’s not heat behind it. Jon chuckles. 

“I’ll drive him,” Jon jokes, making the room laugh. Something about the moment seems to calm Lovett a bit, as he settles back in his chair. 

“Okay, fine, hold on.”

They’re quiet for only a moment, and then Jon reaches over and taps Lovett’s wrist. As their recording crew fiddles with equipment, Lovett looks at Jon. 

“Yes?” Lovett asks as Jon rests his finger on Lovett’s wrist. Jon simply smiles. 

“Only another week.”

Lovett knows what he’s saying without context, and for a fleeting moment, his face slips a little and he sighs. Gently and oh so slowly, Lovett turns his hand over and lets their fingers tangle together. Jon holds his breath. 

“One more week,” Lovett says, like a mantra, and Jon smiles at him. Lovett squeezes his fingers once, and then Tommy’s back, and the moment passes.

\---

Tommy sends them his flight information as Lovett stands in line to get smoothies. They’re never his first choice of beverage, but someone’s been talking about craving one for nearly three days, so Lovett woke up early. He tightens his grasp on Pundit’s leash as the line shuffles forward, opening the link and smiling at the information. A month had turned into almost 6 weeks, and as much as Lovett is loathe to admit, there is a Tommy shaped hole in their lives in LA. 

_ “can’t wait!!!!!”  _ Jon texts in their group chat. Lovett feels that pretty much sums it up. 

Jon’s sitting at the counter when Lovett finally makes it back, dropping Pundit’s leash and letting her run free ahead of him. It takes a moment for Lovett to realize that Jon’s laptop is speaking, and it sounds an awful lot like Tommy. 

“Hey, glad you could make it,” Jon teases, as though they have a set start time to their day. Lovett places his smoothie on the counter and grins at Tommy. 

“Do you always have to call Jon to book a flight?” Lovett asks, taking a sip from his straw. When he looks at Jon, he’s pleased to see he’s staring at the smoothie carefully. 

“I just want to make sure the timing works!”

“Is that a smoothie?”

“Why yes it is, Jon,” Lovett says, dramatically taking another sip. The hand behind his back twitches and he adjusts his arm. 

“You’re drinking smoothies now?” Tommy asks as Jon’s bottom lip sticks out.

“Did you get me one?” Jon mumbles, trying his best to look pathetic. Placing his smoothie down on the counter, Lovett brings his hand to his chin. 

“Did you ask for one?” Tommy questions Jon, who turns and glares at him. 

“No, he did not,” Lovett says as Jon shakes his head. 

“No, but I’ve been talking about wanting one for days.”

“Days, Tommy. Fucking days.”

“I believe it,” Tommy chuckles. 

“So… did you get me one?” Jon asks, leaning forward on the stool and reaching for Lovett’s hidden hand. Lovett starts to back up, but Jon stands up, eyes sparkling as he continues to reach for Lovett. 

“Maybe,” Lovett says, just able to hear Tommy chuckling at them over the whooshing noise in his ears. His brain pauses for a second too long and Jon is able to grab the cup, holding it up triumphantly. 

“Ah-HA! Look, Tommy, my boyfriend got me a smoothie,” Jon cheers as he shows Tommy the cup. Jon pulls Lovett over closer to the stool with a sure finger in Lovetts belt loop. His brain is still stuttering. 

“Oh man, you’re so lucky to have such a nice boyfriend,” Tommy says, seemingly playing along. Lovett snorts. 

“I’d buy you one too, but you’re a couple hundred miles away.” His voice sounds different to his own ears, or maybe that’s because they’re on fire. 

“Aww, thanks sweetheart.” Tommy smiles at him, that same open, warm smile from six weeks ago. Lovett reaches for his smoothie to hide the warmth on his cheeks, but he doesn’t move from where Jon’s pulled him flush against his side. “Anyway, I have a couple episode notes.”

\---

When the car finally pulls up outside Jon’s house, Tommy has a dozen or two texts asking if he’s lost, or if the driver had kidnapped him. Neither are anyway remotely true, so Tommy ignores them as he gets out of the car and heads for the trunk. 

“Thanks so much,” Tommy tells the driver, who waves at him briefly before taking off again. 

Turning to look at the house, Tommy’s face warms as he spots a banner hanging across the front door. Bright, neon letters outlined in glitter hang along a string, telling him “Welcome home!” before he’s even made it past the fence. From inside, he can hear dogs barking, someone laughing. His heart lurches. 

He gets the door open, ducking under the banner to get inside. Lovett has a hand on each of the dogs, holding them back, and Jon grabs his suitcase for him so he can close the door. 

“You guys are obnoxious,” Tommy tells him as Lovett releases the dogs, who run over to him and whine at his feet. He reaches down to pet them before Pundit gets too excited and runs off to find a toy to take her energy out on. Leo follows. 

“You think that’s obnoxious, you should’ve seen the idea we had for the airport. A lot more glitter, moving parts. Bubbles, even!” Lovett sighs dramatically, and Jon shakes his head. They’re both smiling. “I had big plans, Tommy. And you ruined them all.”

“Neither of you need to deal with LAX traffic just for me,” Tommy says as he sets his backpack down, kicking off his shoes. Jon tuts, shaking his head. 

“See, that’s the thing: we totally would,” Jon says, waiting for Tommy to line up his shoes on the rack before reaching out for him. 

“I wouldn’t, but I’d sit passenger seat,” Lovett says as Jon pulls them all into a hug. 

“I appreciate that, sweetheart,” Tommy mumbles as Lovett presses his nose into Tommy’s shirt and Jon drops his head to Tommy’s shoulder. Tommy leans his head against Jon’s and lets his hand rest gently at the nape of Lovett’s neck. 

“How was your flight?” Jon asks softly, though he doesn’t move. Lovett shifts so he can look up at Tommy, his cheek against Tommy’s chest, and he hopes Lovett can’t heart the fluttering happening against his ribs. 

“The normal kind of flight,” Tommy says, smiling. Lovett squints at him but doesn’t say anything. “One of these days I’ll roadtrip it.”

“You can’t do a roadtrip without us,” Lovett says, pulling back slightly. It breaks whatever feeling was keeping them all close, because Jon steps back too. His face looks a little sheepish, eyes downcast. 

“You’re right, what would I ever do without you in the passenger seat refusing to navigate until I laugh at your jokes,” Tommy teases, and Jon snorts as he grabs Tommy’s suitcase and makes his way towards the spare bedroom. Lovett scoffs. 

“That was  _ one _ time!”

Tommy follows them into the kitchen, thirsty beyond belief, and stops short when he sees the food on the counter and the flowers in the vase. 

“There was more?” Tommy asks as Lovett walks around him. 

“Of course, it’s a welcome home party! We picked up food from the barbecue place you talk about when you’re missing LA, and you can try to deny it, but you like flowers too.”

_ I like you _ comes the quick reply in Tommy’s mind but he bites his tongue and tries his best to control his face. Jon walks up behind Tommy and nudges him towards the counter, sure hands on his hips. 

“We got some of the spicy chicken, because we know it’s your favorite,” Jon says, and Tommy has another quick reply to that, but he ducks his head instead and heads for a stool. 

He lets Jon and Lovett talk through dinner, catching him up to speed on all of the local gossip he’s missed out on being in San Francisco. They try to steer clear of talking explicitly about work, as they agreed long ago to not talk about work over dinner, a rule Tommy’s eternally grateful for. Jon talks about what Andy’s up to, Lovett tells a humorous story about Pundit at the dog park, and Tommy soaks up their presence. 

When dinners over, Tommy insists on cleaning up, so he shoos them out of the kitchen and into the living room, Lovett grumbling about the possibility of watching sports and Jon laughing at him. 

He refills their water bottles and grabs a bag of dried fruit from the pantry. As he looks through the food there, he realizes how much food Jon keeps that Lovett likes specifically. There’s even a small area of treats Tommy knows are specifically for him. 

Jon and Lovett are sitting on opposite ends of the couch when Tommy walks into the living room, Lovett already cuddled under a blanket. Sports aren’t on the television, which is probably why Lovett’s phone is face down on the end table. 

“Here,” Tommy says, handing them their water bottles. He sits down between them, kicking his feet up on the coffee table. Jon shifts, kicking his feet up as well, their ankles knocking together. 

“What is he making us watch?” Tommy asks quietly, ignoring Lovett’s snort. Jon shrugs. 

“He hasn’t picked anything yet. I told him he has ten minutes and then we’re watching the game.”

“There isn’t a game on!”

“I’ll find one,” Jon promises. 

Lovett shifts as he surfs channels, shoving his toes under Tommy’s thigh. Pulling the blanket down to cover the tops of Lovett’s feet, Tommy squeezes Lovett’s ankle. He settles back into the cushions, smiling happily. 

\--- 

Recording on Monday is the most fun they’ve had while recording in awhile. They get in a bunch of ad reads, giggling at each other while their producer rolls her eyes. They take lunch together, heading out into the sunshine to a taco stand down the street. 

“Tommy, are you looking at any houses while you’re here?” Jon asks as they walk, the dogs running ahead of them on their leashes. Tommy coughs, reaching up and adjusting his sunglasses slightly. 

“No, not this time.”

Lovett looks at Jon behind Tommy’s back, both of their eyebrows knitted together. 

“You’re still thinking of moving down here, right?” Lovett asks, an edge to his voice. He reels Pundit back in as she goes too far. Tommy nods. 

“Yeah, it was just… nothing felt right and it was just stressing me out.”

They’re quiet as they get in line at the little stand. Lovett’s typing on his phone, body angled away from them slightly. Jon’s staring off into the distance, but he’s still right next to Tommy. 

When it’s their turn, Lovett orders for all of them. Tommys only a little surprised Lovett can order for him. But he’s slowly realizing a lot of things at once, and as they walk over to wait for their food, Jon speaks up. 

“You could move in with me,” he says, like they’re picking up a conversation. Lovett’s head whips up and Tommy looks at him carefully. 

“What?”

“Like, I have extra space. The spare bedroom is basically yours anyway. Why not?” Jon asks simply, but Tommy can see the way his hands are twitching. Lovett shifts a bit closer to Jon, his knee bumping Jon’s leg. 

“Are you sure? I think I’m a little too old to live like bachelor frat bros,” Tommy jokes, but it falls flat as Jon continues to look at him. 

“Oh,” Jon whispers softly, nodding. “Well, I - uh, I didn’t - nevermind then.”

“Wait, what? What’s wrong?”

“Jon,” Lovett says softly, reaching out to touch Jon’s elbow. He opens his mouth like he wants to say more, but their number is called. Lovett curses quietly as he walks over to grab the bag. When he returns, he ushers them away from the area. “Walk. We’ll talk at the office.”

Lovett shares a very brief look with Tanya when they return and whatever she was going to say dies on her lips, letting them past. Lovett leads them into the farthest conference room, placing their bag of food on the table. 

“Okay, what just happened?” Tommy asks, feeling off kilter. There’s an unpleasant weight in his stomach and doesn’t know how to get rid of it. 

“It’s nothing,” Jon says, seemingly defensive. “I just - I guess I didn’t realize we were all still living a bachelor lifestyle.”

The sentence hangs in the air, the weight in Tommy’s stomach getting heavier. 

“Sorry, I just - sorry.” Jon shifts uncomfortably, and Tommy sees realization dawn on Lovett’s face. He’s still trying to figure out what’s going on when Lovett reaches over and takes Jon’s hand, twining their fingers together. 

“Oh,” Tommy breathes, the shining realization hitting him too. He can hear Dan in his head, the words he’d spoken to Tommy only a week prior. 

_ You three are like an old married couple… throuple? Whatever. It’s cute. _

“You could’ve said something,” Lovett says quietly to Jon, which sets Jon off. 

“Me? What about you?” He lifts his hand, taking Lovett’s with him. “Or you!” He grabs Tommy’s hand, pulling him in. “I didn’t realize I was the one who had to speak up here.”

“I didn’t realize this was a thing I could have,” Tommy whispers after a beat, and Jon’s face softens. Lovett wraps an arm around Tommy’s waist, pulling them all in close. Jon buries his face in Tommy’s neck. Lovett rests cheek on his chest. 

“We’ve been a little stupid,” Lovett says, earning soft chuckles. Jon lifts his head, his nose sliding along Tommy’s cheek. Lovett smiles up at them but doesn’t lift his head. 

“Our food’s getting cold,” Tommy mumbles, and Jon chuckles. 

“Let’s eat; we can talk about this when we get home. I read somewhere in our handbook about keeping romance out of the office.”

Lovett laughs, loud and happy, nudging Jon as he blushes. Tommy shakes his head and follows them out towards the break room. 

\---

Leo and Pundit are wrestling somewhere in the hallway, just outside the half closed door of Jon’s bedroom. From where Lovett’s laying on Jon’s bed, his head pillowed against Jon’s chest, he can see the dogs through the sliver of the open door. 

He looks away from the door at the tug of his hand. He looks up to meet Tommy’s eyes and they smile at each other. Tommy slots their fingers together and rests them on Jon’s sternum. Above them, Jon hums and Lovett feels his fingers on the back of his head. 

“I can’t believe we’ve been dating this entire time.”

Lovett snorts, Jons chest moving under his head as he laughs too. Tommy shakes his head, looking between Lovett’s bright eyes and Jon’s quiet smile. 

“Nah, I think calling your friend sweetheart and getting them flowers is completely platonic,” Lovett mumbles, eyes fluttering as Jon plays with his curls. 

“It can be.”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t,” Tommy says to Jon, tilting his head back to catch Jon’s eye. They smile at each other before Tommy looks at Lovett again. 

“How long?” Jon asks after a beat of silence. Lovett’s eyes widen and he lets out a puff of air. 

“Well,” he starts, laughing a little. Tommy squeezes his fingers, keeping him close. 

“I’ve always been a bit in love with both of you,” Jon whispers earnestly, eyes closed and face relaxed. Tommy looks at Lovett, who’s hiding his face in Jon’s chest, and smiles. 

“Yeah,” Tommy says. 

“Yeah,” Lovett echoes. They all laugh. 

Lovett pulls his face out of Jon’s shirt, Jon opens his eyes, and they look at each other for a long moment. The sun’s setting outside, the last of it’s rays spreading warm colors across the opposite wall. They’ve been spread out on Jon’s bed now since they got home, hands and lips slowly meeting as they work things out. 

“Well, with that out of the way,” Lovett starts, his cheeks still bright red. Jon wraps an arm around him as he goes to roll off the bed, keeping him close. He kisses the top of Lovett’s hair, smiling. Tommy pulls his arm back towards his face, hiding his smile as Lovett tries to pull off a scowl. 

“Stay, babe, we’ll go back to kissing instead of talking about our feelings.”

“I -”

“Yeah, sweetheart,” Tommy goads him, watching in fascination as Lovett’s neck flushes. Lovett glares at him, even though his lips are twitching, eyes sparkling. 

“You’re both menaces,” Lovett mumbles, pushing up to reach Jon’s lips. Tommy chuckles as they kiss slowly, his chest bursting with warmth as he watches them. Jon’s hand cups the back of his head. 

“You love us,” Tommy says as they break apart. Lovett turns and looks at him, a small smile on his lips. He nods, just slightly, and leans across Jon’s chest to reach Tommy’s lips. 

“A little,” he says before he kisses Tommy, Jon making a happy noise above them. When Lovett breaks the kiss and settles again, Tommy lets Jon kiss him softly. 

“We’re going to need a bigger bed,” Lovett says thoughtfully, looking around the room. Jon’s eyebrows knit together, looking at Tommy. 

“What? We?” 

“I may be cuddling you now, but I need space in bed. I’m a kicker,” Lovett informs them, Tommy snorting. 

“I’m shocked.”

“You starfish!” Lovett accuses, but Tommy simply nods. 

“Wait, back up.  _ We _ have to get a bigger bed?” Jon asks. Lovett nods. 

“Well, yeah. I know you said Tommy can have the spare bedroom, but if he’s here, I’m here buddy.” Lovett smiles at them like it’s the simplest thing. Jon’s face lights up, bright and happy, and Tommy feels weightless. “You’re not getting rid of me now.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Jon says as Tommy mumbles, “Don’t want to.” 

**Author's Note:**

> feedback is always appreciated! thanks for reading :)
> 
> come say hi on tumblr, i’m theotherapps


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